Canada aims to welcome over 465,000 new permanent residents by the end of 2023 under its Immigration Levels Plan. By the year 2025, the target is 500,000 new permanent inhabitants. Today, we will be discussing some ways to come to Canada from the UAE. 

The United Arab Emirates is one of the top countries of residents for new immigrants to Canada. Canada is a popular destination for UAE residents because of the nation’s many economic opportunities in numerous sectors, including the information & technology sector, health sector, & engineering-related fields. 

Federal Skilled Worker Program 

The FSWP, i.e., Federal Skilled Worker Program, is a popular alternative for people who come to Canada from the UAE. This program invites applicants with relevant work experience & no employment offer or no connection to Canada to apply for permanent residence. 

The FSWP is one of the popular programs handled by Express Entry. This system manages three economic immigration programs, i.e., CEC, FSTP, & FSWP. 

The UAE is among the top nations for Express Entry newcomers to Canada. Thus, most people come to Canada from the UAE as skilled workers in the economic category. 

In order to be eligible for this program, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

  • One year of continuous full-time paid work experience in the last ten years in a skilled profession under the NOC TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3. 
  • Validated language capability or equivalent to CLB 7 in French/ English across all abilities. 
  • A Canadian educational credential/ foreign credential & ECA report. 
  • At least 67 points on IRCC’s immigration selection factors. 
  • Adequate money for you & your family to reside & finally settle in Canada. 

Once you determine your eligibility for the program, you might apply by creating an Express Entry profile on the IRCC’s official website. By creating a profile, you will obtain a CRS score based on various human capital factors like age, education, work experience, language abilities, etc. 

IRCC has also lately launched new category-based Express Entry draws. Applicants are selected through the program if they have a strong French language proficiency or work experience in the following professions:   

  • Healthcare
  • STEM professions
  • Trades
  • Transport
  • Agriculture/ Agri-Food 

Provincial Nominee Program 

The PNP is another way to come to Canada from the UAE. 

Canada has ten provinces & three territories, the majority of which have PNP. Through the PNP, every territory & province gets to design immigration pathways depending on their economic, demographic, as well as job market needs. 

The provinces & territories will nominate skilled worker applicants for immigration to their respective jurisdictions via the PNP. In addition, every province will have their own eligibility criteria, which an applicant has to meet to be nominated. 

Moreover, applicants can also enter the Express Entry pool & be nominated through the PNP by a province, which will select applicants from the federal pool. However, if an applicant is nominated via Express Entry, they will obtain an extra 600 CRS points, thus guaranteeing an ITA for permanent residence. 

Work Permits 

Individuals residing in the UAE come to Canada to work by obtaining a Canadian work permit, which is divided into two programs, i.e., TFWP & IMP. The main difference between the two is that the former requires an LMIA, unlike the latter. 

The LMIA aims to demonstrate that recruiting foreign professionals will either have a positive or neutral effect on the Canadian job market. 

The IMP exists to promote Canada’s social & economic policy objectives, which is why the program does not need an LMIA. For instance, under the IMP, there is Intra-Company Transfer, which allows key personnel of the company/ business to transfer from their branch to a location in Canada. Another instance is the Significant Benefit Stream, which issues work permits to foreign nationals when their proposed benefit to Canada is significant, implying their work is notable & important. 

Applicants usually require an employment offer from a Canadian to apply for a work permit. However, there are some situations wherein applicants can get open work permits, which are not tied to a specific employer & enable individuals to work almost anywhere in Canada. 

Study Permits

Canada is one of the leading destinations for foreign students because of factors like the high quality of Canadian education, healthcare, post-graduation benefits, affordability, etc. 

A significant benefit of studying in Canada for foreign students completing post-secondary education in Canada is that they might have the opportunity to transition to permanent residence. 

Canadian education can help when it comes to pursuing Canadian permanent residence, as numerous provincial & federal immigration programs value applicants with Canadian education as well as work experience. 

Moreover, after completing studies in Canada, you might obtain a PGWP, which, depending on your academic program, can enable you to work in Canada for up to three years.